


For You I Would

by Shiftingbetweenfandoms



Category: EastEnders (TV)
Genre: Badass Callum Highway, Ben Mitchell Loves Callum "Halfway" Highway, Gun Violence, M/M, Threats, pls make that a tag
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-01
Updated: 2021-03-01
Packaged: 2021-03-14 08:06:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,182
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29788920
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Shiftingbetweenfandoms/pseuds/Shiftingbetweenfandoms
Summary: Episode coda 01/03/21Basically my ideal aftermath to Stas threatening Kheerat and BenPlus Callum being the bad bitch that he is
Relationships: Callum "Halfway" Highway/Ben Mitchell
Comments: 6
Kudos: 56





	For You I Would

“I mean it’s one thing to sleep with a man, but a _police_ man…”

All thoughts of potential business, his dad’s approval and Mitchell reputation shoot out of Ben’s mind as his fiancé is mentioned. At first, he thought Stas was a complete joke; his matching tracksuits and stupid haircut were laughable and he almost pitied the pathetic wannabe gangster. Granted, his humour on the situation was slightly quenched when the Panesar’s got involved, the prospect of humiliation and damage to their family’s reputation fuelling Ben to consider a truce with Kheerat. He should’ve known that this would never have gone smoothly.

Funnily enough if it wasn’t for Kheerat’s presence, then Ben’s pretty sure Stas would be six feet under already for even mentioning Callum, let alone coating his comment in an underlying threat. He’s done this enough times to know what it means when family is mentioned, it is not a laughing matter. And that’s not even counting the obvious homophobia in this comment.

All he could think was _CallumCallumCallum_.

Ben has had just about enough of people using Callum against him, of threatening him constantly. First Keanu, then Danny, and even Thompson.

“Look Stas, this is business, let’s not make it personal.”

“But how could I do business with a person I don’t trust anymore?”

The reveal of the gun really solidifies that this _business deal_ has gone sour and Ben begins to put his brain to use and think of a way out of this, without any of them being harmed. Well, not including Stas. He’s already earned a beating for mentioning his fiancé. Ben tries to reason with Stas as the idiot spins the gun around, relying on chance for who the victim could be.

His taunting countdown is enough for Ben to snap. Not out of frustration, but genuine fear. A few years ago, a situation like this wouldn’t have been as threatening for him as he didn’t really have much to live for. Paul was gone, his Dad had shown his true colours to him, and he didn’t have someone like Lexi who needed him. But now, he had people to live for. He had people who may not be able to live if he died. The most notable being his husband to be.

The fallout from Thompson’s blackmail made way for opportunities of actual communication between the two men, one such conversation being Callum’s fear of ending up alone. It started out as a normal horror movie night, until Ben asked Calum what his biggest fear is: “ _It sounds Stupid but… ending up alone. I’m terrified of it_.” This led to Callum telling his soulmate of all the times where he was abandoned and left alone; Jonno, Stuart, Chris. Ben had learned of what happened to Callum’s first love and he couldn’t help but see the similarities to what happened with Paul. He had no idea that Callum went through something as traumatic as well, especially during a time when he was trying to find himself.

Ben snapped back into the present when Stas caught sight of a flammable gas canister and his heart stopped when he realised what the idiot was planning.

“Stas wants his cash back by the end of this song, or I’m gonna paint these walls Russki red!”

Any other time, Ben would’ve laughed by him referring to himself in the third person, but now is not the time.

“Tick-tock” Ben watches as Kheerat pulls out his phone and frantically calls Vinny. They’re told that he’d be two minutes and so, all they have to do it wait.

“Stas come on, are you really gonna kill yourself over some cash? And even if you got away, you’d be a murderer and you have both Phil Mitchell and Suki Panesar after you.” Despite their hostilities, Ben knew that the combined force of Phil and Suki would be enough for this discount Al Capone to shit himself. He takes pride in the quick flicker of fear that flashes across Stas’s face before the sound of his own phone fills the air. He lets it ring for a little bit, thinking Stas would shoot him if he even moved to turn it off.

“Go on then! Don’t want anyone thinking you’ve bit the dust already.”

Ben gives Stas one more glare before he is reaching for his phone. He reads the name and sucks in a breath as he shakily slides his thumb across the screen to answer it.

“Hey Babe…” Ben knows that his voice is wavering and he knows Callum will notice this.

“Hey, you alright? Just got off the tube from work and was wondering if I should pick up some Chinese for dinner?”

“Y-yeah sounds good, just got a few more pieces of paperwork to finish then I’ll be home.”

“Paperwork? When have you ever done paperwork, you normally ignore until Jay does it himself out of stress” Hearing Callum snicker at the prospect of him doing paperwork was nearly enough to comfort him but not quite.

“Yeah, well, maybe I’m turning over a new leaf.”

“Alright, alright-”

“Look Cal, I’m sorry but I really gotta go.” Ben hopes that Callum will be able to see passed the obvious fear in his voice and just go home.

“Oh okay, I’ll see you at home then, love you.”

“Love you too.” Ben quickly hangs up and turns back to look at Stas, his heart thumping in his chest as he knows the song is close to ending, and Vinny is still nowhere in sight.

….

Callum looks down at his phone is suspicion as he looks over Ben’s name. Something was wrong, he felt it in his bones. Ben sounded somewhat scared or apprehensive. The past few weeks have been a blur of romance and happiness for the couple, so this new emotion embedded in Ben’s voice is enough to make Callum stop in his tracks.

He was about to shake of this scepticism and continue on home hen he hears shouts down near the Vic. The rounds the corner to see Vinny Panesar being cornered by at least four thugs. Damn his moral compass for being physically unable to leave a person in a potentially threatening situation.

Callum begins to march up to the group and it seems they must have some braincells because with the knowledge of them no longer being alone in the street, they take off, either not wanting to risk having witnesses or unable to take on more than one person.

After he watches them run off, Vinny spins around and Callum must be dreaming because why the hell would Vinny Panesar be this relieved to see him.

The younger man begins to walk quickly towards Callum and he starts to think that maybe his suspicion from before was necessary.

“Callum! Callum, look I-I need your help. I think my brother and your boyfriend are in serious trouble, follow me!” Callum has to resist the urge to correct the Panesar brother when he calls Ben his boyfriend. It seems most people are ignoring that they’re engaged now despite it being a rather public proposal, even if that wasn’t the original plan.

Vinny fills him in on what’s happened on the way to the Arches and Callum feels he should be surprised at Ben’s antics, but at this point, he’s just accepted that this is who he is. They go to round the corner to where the park and garage would come into view but Vinny pushed him back before he could and indicates that there are two of Stas’s thugs standing by the door.

“If they see you with me, they won’t hesitate to kill us all. You gotta find another way in.” He reaches behind him and pulls out a gun from god knows where.

“Where the hell-!”

“Look I know okay! Me giving you an unlicensed gun won’t look good but I have a feeling you might ignore it because Ben’s life is on the line here.” He whispers loudly before giving Callum a long look and then turning and rounding the corner. Callum watches covertly as the thugs let Vinny into the garage and he goes to flank the Arches. He’s never been more grateful for his past self for listening to Ben ramble on about the garage as he remembers that he once told him of a back door. It seems this knowledge was not known by the gangsters because as he approaches the door, it is unguarded and he begins to prepare himself for what could be on the other side.

All that stands between him and Ben now is a closed door, to which he can hear shouts from the other side. He uses the loud noises to his advantage and makes sure his gun’s safety is on, besides, he really doesn’t fancy shooting anyone today, but the threat is there. With the shouts blocking out any quite sounds, Callum slowly pulls the handle down and pushes the door open an inch. He is met with a ridiculously looking blonde bloke who is alternating between pointing his gun at Ben, Kheerat and Vinny; he spots a bag of cash thrown at the guys feet.

“You know, I really don’t like being taken for a mug.”

“You don’t help yourself mate.” Callum internally scolded Ben for even trying to antagonise the guy who has a gun pointed at him. Ben’s comment seems to have hit a nerve and the blonde storms up to Ben and holds the gun right to his head. Callum’s own heart stops as he sees Ben freeze as well. Itching to rip the gun away from his fiancé’s head, Callum watches as Vinny rips out his own gun and he decides to make his presence known.

Callum’s bashes the door open and raises his gun at the blonde idiot who must have a death wish for ever pointing a gun at Ben’s head.

“Get the fuck away from him.” Callum doesn’t even raise his voice; it stays at a threatening calm level and he takes great satisfaction at seeing the blondes smug face fall into one of shock. He also catches Ben’s face contain the same shock but also confusion at how and why his fiancé is here. He quickly recovers as a means of maintaining his own gangster persona.

“Well, I can safely say I did not see that coming, but if my calculations are correct, it’s now four against two. I don’t know about you, but I like those odds.” Ben supresses his smile as he watches Stas and his little buddy virtually squirm on the spot at being outnumbered and outsmarted. Stas goes to retrieve the bag but is stopped midway by Ben tutting.

“ah, ah, ah. I don’t think so. You see, we offered you a way out. But you decided to try and be a big brave man, and well, that didn’t exactly work out for you, did it?”

“You’re a fucking bastard”

”I know it keeps me up at night”

“You listen here Mitchell-” Stas steps closer to Ben but quickly backtracks when Callum takes menacing steps forward, almost daring him to even try and get closer to his soulmate.

“No, you listen, because I’m such an angel, I’ve decided to let you live to see another day. But know this, you even step foot back in Walford or speak badly about either of our families, and I won’t hesitate to come after you. Nowhere would be safe. Now, run along little man.”

The four men watch as the two thugs sprint out of the garage, and they all unconsciously release the breath they had all been holding. Ben doesn’t even acknowledge the Panesar brothers and opts for rushing up to his fiancé. Callum throws the gun he was holding onto the desk as if it burned him and moves towards Ben, immediately enveloping him in his arms.

Ben maintains a tight grip and feels guilt coarse through his veins as he registers Callum’s shaky breaths.

“I’m not even going to ask how the hell this happened.” Callum’s voice mirrors Ben’s shaky one from before and it causes Ben to pull away from the hug and take his fiancé’s face in his hands.

“I’m so sorry for putting you in that position, you shouldn’t have had to deal with that, let alone hold a gun again”, Ben knew how much Callum hated guns from his army days and that this wouldn’t be a situation that would just be forgotten about. He could almost see the endless nights to come as they are no doubt going to be filled with nightmares, and the guilt that is shooting through him becomes inextinguishable.

Callum lets out a shaky breath, “For you I would.” Ben is sure Callum doesn’t understand the impact of these words as just over a year earlier, he had said the exact same thing about Callum to his Dad. He closes his eyes and pulls Callum back into a hug, vowing to never put him in any for of danger ever again.


End file.
